Firestone (35 page)

“
And a course of
treatment?” Bumpy asked.

“
As you know, Dr. Wilson,
autoimmune diseases are best treated with quality nutrition, water,
exercise, rest . . .” The doctor looked at
Bumpy.

“
There are medications,”
Bumpy said.

“
I’d recommend holding off
on the medications for now,” the doctor said. “Let him get through
this crisis, and we’ll see where he’s feeling. Specifically, we’ll
have to see how his kidneys are doing.”

The doctor looked at Bumpy and then at
Jeraine.

“
I’d like to see him,” the
doctor said. “Get some blood work started and track how he’s
doing.”

“
That’s fine,” Bumpy
said.

“
I’m happy to work with
you, Dr. Wilson,” the doctor said. He looked at Jeraine and cleared
his throat. “My daughter would kill me if I didn’t
ask . . .”

The doctor pressed a CD copy of Jeraine’s
latest album across the desk.

“
Would you mind?” the
doctor asked.

“
What’s her name?” Jeraine
asked.

He looked around for a Sharpie pen. The
doctor gave him one.

“
Jessica,” the doctor
said.

Jeraine signed the CD to Jessica.

The doctor nodded and then cleared his
throat again.

“
Our
staff . . . uh . . . I know it’s a
tremendous imposition. I’d understand if you said no.”

“
Outside the door?” Bumpy
asked.

“
The girls on the ward,
children. They are very ill, and . . .” the doctor
said. “Uh, would you mind . . .?”

“
I’d love to.” Jeraine
smiled. “Do you have a guitar? Maybe we can play
something.”

Jeraine looked at his father, and Bumpy
nodded.

“
On the ward,” the doctor
said.

“
You’ll help my son?”
Jeraine asked.

“
I’ll do my best whether
you visit the children or not,” the doctor said.

“
Then lead the way,”
Jeraine said. “Miss T doesn’t get done for another hour. We’ve got
time to burn.”

The doctor stood, shook their hands, and led
the way to the children’s ward.

~~~~~~~~

Monday evening — 5:55 p.m.

“
What do you think?”
Yvonne asked. “Spaghetti for the boy in you? Steak for the man in
you?”

“
What’s Mr. Chesterfield
having?” Jabari asked.

While Jabari said he was “one hundred
percent better,” his energy had lagged. The child spun around at
the counter, and then grabbed a barstool to keep from falling over.
Yvonne caught him. She held him for a moment while he panted. When
he was breathing evenly, she kissed his cheek and set him squarely
on the bar stool.

“
Mr. Chesterfield eats dog
food.” Yvonne went to the cabinet and took out a cup of dog food.
“I probably wouldn’t feed him this, but it’s what he’s always had.
Would you like some?”

“
Okay,” Jabari
grinned.

Yvonne got a bowl from the cabinet and put
in a scoop of dog food. She gave Jabari a spoon. The boy started to
giggle. His giggle became a laugh, and Yvonne laughed.

“
What’s this?” Rodney
asked as he came in the back door. “Did we get a new
puppy?”

The idea that he might be a puppy was too
much for Jabari. He started screaming and laughing. When the
laughter turned to coughing, Rodney lifted the small child from the
barstool to hold him.

“
Maybe we should let Mr.
Chesterfield have his own food,” Yvonne said.

Rodney and Jabari nodded in unison, which
made Yvonne laugh.

“
We were just talking
about dinner,” Yvonne said.

With Jabari still in his arms, Rodney kissed
Yvonne on the cheek.

“
Oh shoot,” Rodney said.
“I forgot to remind you.”

“
Did I forget something?”
Yvonne asked.

“
Maybe,” Rodney said.
“Miss T’s friend Heather’s mother is having everyone over for
dinner.”

“
I know Abi and Fin are
going,” Yvonne said. “Are we invited too?”

Rodney nodded.

“
Did I forget?” Yvonne
asked.

“
I probably didn’t tell
you,” Rodney smiled.

Yvonne laughed and Jabari giggled with
her.

“
We’re going to a party?”
Jabari asked.

“
With your daddy and our
girl, Tanesha,” Rodney said. “How does that sound?”

“
Good,” Jabari said. “Why
is there a party?”

“
A couple reasons,” Yvonne
said. “My Tannie got custody of the cutest little boy.”

“
What boy?” Jabari’s mouth
fell open. Tears appeared in his big dark eyes. “What?”

“
Oh baby-boy.” Rodney held
the boy tight to him. “She means you.”

Jabari rested his head on Rodney’s big
shoulder. Because Rodney’s hands were so large and the boy was so
small, Rodney held the child to him with one hand under the boy’s
rear.

“
I was thinking we’d rest
for a while,” Yvonne said.

“
We’re not due for a bit,”
Rodney said.

“
Can we rest all
together?” Jabari asked. “In
your
big bed?”

“
You bet.” Rodney looked
at Yvonne and she smiled at him.

They carried Jabari upstairs. Yvonne got
into her side of the bed. Rodney set Jabari next to her and got in
beside him. The child was asleep in a moment.

“
Do you think we should
bring him?” Yvonne asked. “He’s so fragile.”

“
I think he needs to be
loved,” Rodney said. “We don’t have to stay long.”

“
Just long enough for him
to get loved by everybody,” Yvonne said. “That’s a good
idea.”

“
Yes, ma’am,” Rodney said.
“I’ll set my watch.”

“
Good idea,” Yvonne
said.

She lay in the quiet room on their soft,
warm bed and listened to Jabari and Rodney breathe. It wasn’t a big
moment, or even one she’d necessarily remember forever. It was just
one of those moments when she knew her life was really good. She
smiled and enjoyed the quiet.

~~~~~~~~

Monday evening — 6:00 p.m.

“
Ok, I looked it up,” Jill
said to Heather on the phone.

“
What did you find?”
Heather asked.

Tink was getting ready in the upstairs
bathroom, so Heather was half-listening to Jill while she gave Mack
a quick bath in the bathroom in the basement.

“
Hedone means the quest
for pleasure that only has good consequences,” Jill said. “But it’s
also the root word ‘hedonism.’”

“
Stupid fairies,” Heather
said with a laugh. “That’s totally not me.”

“
I know,” Jill said. “It
also says that Hedone is the daughter of Cupid, or Eros, and
Psyche.”

Heather snorted a laugh.

“
Yeah, my dad’s an
immortal cherub,” Heather said. “No wonder I get so soft around the
middle.”

“
Heather!” Jill said.
“You’re beautiful.”

Mack said something, and there was a
splash.

“
Well, I should go,”
Heather said. “We’re supposed to be at Psycho’s
house . . .”

“
Psyche?” Jill
laughed.

“
Psycho’s more fitting,”
Heather laughed. “Do you think any of
this . . .?”

“
Who knows?” Jill
asked.

“
Yeah, whatever,” Heather
said. “I mean, you’re a Titan’s child. Tanesha’s a fairy. Sandy’s,
well . . . Sandy. And
I’m . . .”

“
Hedone!” Jill
laughed.

Heather laughed.

“
Doesn’t matter to me,”
Heather said. “I yam what I yam, dats all that I yam.”

Jill laughed.

“
You sure you can’t come?”
Heather asked.

“
I’m spending the night
with Katy,” Jill said. “Girls’ night. Jake’s with Blane and the
boys are with Meg.”

“
I wish you were here to
sort this fairy crap out,” Heather said.

“
Me too,” Jill said. “Katy
just needs a little one-on-one time. But if you need me, we can
always come over. Just call.”

“
Ok,” Heather pulled Mack
from the bath.

“
Plus, Tanesha’s going to
be there,” Jill said. “You know she made Fin tell her
everything.”

“
Crazy,” Heather said. She
wrapped Mack in a towel. “Her super-hot lab partner is her
great-grandfather, and he’s a fairy prince – a
fairy prince
.”

“
I know,” Jill said. “Of
course, Tanesha’s like, ‘None of this is going to help me become a
doctor, is it?’”

“
You know about the tea,
right?” Heather asked while she dried off Mack.

“
She told me,” Jill said.
“She’s pissed.”

“
Mostly for her mom,”
Heather said.

“
I wish I could be there
just to see the big fairy confrontation,” Jill said.

“
I doubt it will happen
tonight,” Heather said.

“
Why?” Jill
asked.

“
I think Psycho’s going to
be the center of attention.” Heather’s voice was bitter. “As
always.”

“
Oh honey, I’m sorry,”
Jill said.

“
It’s okay,” Heather said,
as she was putting a diaper on Mack. “I just
wish . . .”

Heather closed her mouth as the well of
sadness rose up inside.

“
Blane’s really good with
your mother,” Jill said.

“
Mm-hm,” Heather
said.

“
Heather!” Tink yelled
from upstairs. “Blane’s on the computer!”

“
Gotta go,” Heather said
with a sigh.

“
Remember our deal,” Jill
said. “You need us, you call. We’ll kick some fairy
ass.”

“
And the Greek goddess?”
Heather asked about her mother.

“
Hey, my Katy can kick
anyone’s ass,” Jill said.

Heather laughed at the idea.

“
Love you,” Heather said,
and hung up.

Jill looked at her cell phone. While she no
longer had any of those “stupid” powers, she tried to figure out
what might happen. She looked up to see Katy and Keenan, Delphie’s
adopted son, in the doorway. Their round, dark eyes glistened in
the dim light of her office.

“
Yes?” Jill
asked.

Keenan looked at Katy

“
He wants me to say that a
‘great injustice will be resolved.’” Katy looked at Keenan and he
shrugged. “But mostly it’s going to be a lot of yelling and
stuff.”

“
Drama,” Jill
said.

Katy giggled. Keenan’s eyebrows worked for a
moment before he laughed. Katy ran out into the loft, and Keenan
followed.

“
Mommy!” Katy
yelled.

Shaking her head, Jill jogged after her
daughter.

~~~~~~~~

Monday evening — 6:23 p.m.

“
And Jeraine Wilson is
back in the news again today,” the female news announcer
said.

Jeraine’s face came up on the
television.

“
As questions of Jeraine’s
sobriety continue to be raised, he visited the Children’s Hospital
cancer ward,” the male news announcer said.

The screen filled with what looked like a
video taken with a cell phone. The video showed Jeraine and Bumpy
chatting with children on the cancer ward and playing a song with
the kids all around.

“
His ex, the reality
television star Annette, responded,” the woman announcer
said.

“
Our son lies on his death
bed, and his father couldn’t give a damn,” Annette said. “Not one
damn. He’s out promoting his music, singing his songs of love of
the fabulous Miss T. After he paid off the court to get custody.
You’d think he’d care enough about his own child
to . . .”

“
Do we have to listen to
more?” Jacob asked.

Blane paused the video on his laptop.

“
I just thought you’d like
to know,” Blane said.

“
You want me to tell Jill
rather than having to tell Heather yourself,” Jacob
said.

“
Is it that obvious?”
Blane laughed.

Jacob nodded. He was sitting in a little
alcove chamber in Blane’s room. There was a wall of glass between
him and Blane. The wall gave Blane a chance to see visitors, but
not come in contact with them. Blane had held up his laptop for
Jacob to see.

“
That woman is crazy,”
Jacob said.

“
Indeed,” Blane said in
the creepy voice of Lo Pan, from their favorite movie, “Big Trouble
in Little China.” Jacob laughed. “You can see the
scar . . .”

Blane pointed to the plastic surgery scar
just under Annette’s chin. Jacob nodded.

“
Tanesha says she’s been
completely redone,” Blane said.

“
Better her than me,”
Jacob said.

Blane laughed. Jacob smiled.

“
You think Jeraine is
using?” Blane asked.

“
I think Tanesha would
flat out kill him if he was,” Jacob said.

“
That’s right,” Blane
said.

“
Should I call him? Have
sexy Jeraine play a song for the infirmed Blane?” Jacob
asked.